>> Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Hello lovely friends! I'm so sorry for my awful blogging ways... I feel like a broken record, always saying that. I hope you'll forgive me! Today I wanted to share my personal holiday wish list. I say personal, not only because its my list, but also because I'm going to do a "home" list and "skincare" list. Should be fun! :)

When putting together things that caught my eye this year, it was pretty much limited to bags and jewels. Obviously I have a one track mind at the moment, and a general color theme, ha. But a few of these items have been on my mind for months now so despite their similarities, they really are all things I've been wanting. Unfortunately they all have a pretty little price tag to go along with them which is why they aren't already mine. But a girl can dream! That's what wish lists (and husbands, cough ZACH, cough ;) ) are for, right??

1. Ariel Gordon Initial Ring - This ring from Ariel Gordon jewelry is probably my favorite thing on this list. The example photo even has MY EXACT INITIALS, as if to further prove how much I need it. Neeeeeed itttttt. I've actually been saving up for this little gem; its been on my mind for 5 months now and I just can't get it out. That says it definitely needs to be mine ;)

2. Kate Spade Purse - I've recently really started liking Kate Spade's purse line. I know, I know... how could I not like them? But I've always found them to be a little too structured, I like my purses a little more relaxed. But this pale pink beauty is gorgeous, and a perfect size. If you see it on their site, you'll see that its not too big and not too small. Its basically the Goldilock's of pink purses.

3. Coach Watch - I've never been much of a watch wearer, but something about this one just jumped out at me. I was perusing their site one day (as I often do...) and I stopped dead in my scrolling when I came upon this watch. Before even thinking it was in my cart. But I didn't purchase it, I realized the impracticality since I really don't wear watches. But if I were to wear them, this is the one I'd wear.

4. J.Crew Necklace - As a statement necklace junky, this would just be added to my ever growing collection. I realized I have very few clear crystal necklaces, and this is one that would go with everything. This might be one for the husband to check out ;)

5. J.Crew Bracelet - Similar to the necklace, I just though this piece was gorgeous! It has a vintage nod, like the other jewelry, and would look great with that necklace, don't you think? :)

6. J.Crew Earrings - These are probably huge but I still thought they were pretty. Again, going with the clear crystal theme, these could go with practically anything.

7. Coach Purse - I am IN LOVE with this bag. The color, the size, the shape, the crossbody ability... its almost perfect. The only way it could be more perfect would be if it were about $200 less. Sigh.

>> Wednesday, September 25, 2013

>> Sunday, July 7, 2013

I've recently gotten in to yard work. Kinda. I've always hating working in the yard, and for the most part have had a black thumb when it comes to growing anything. But over the years my ability to keep plants alive (and for an extended period of time) has increased. It started with houseplants, moved on to porch plants and how has evolved in to fully planted-in-the-ground- plants. I still kill the occasional porch plant (our porch gets scorching sun in the afternoon, so not all survive) but for the most part I keep them alive. I currently have a total of 10 indoor plants and 22 outdoor potted plants. Not too shabby I'm darn proud. If you were my mother you'd understand, she loves gardening and is great at it, but I never have and was terrible. So, with all of this said, I've recently done a lot of yard work and have found some pretty cute planters for the house.

Out by our deck on the side was this gross, dirt area that used to hold azaleas. When we redid our deck I had them all pulled out bc they were huge and not too healthy. But that was back in December, so for the last 6 months its looked like this:

About 3 weeks ago I got the itch to put something there, I was tired of looking at the mud pit, and I purchased these plants. The wooden posts I already had, some buried in the dirt, so I just arranged them as a little border around the plants. I am thrilled with the outcome and 3 weeks later they are all still alive and doing well :)

Next up is this planter on my porch. I've had this planter for a while, but most of the plants in it haven't done well. Its one of the sunniest spots on my porch, so finding the right plant has been tough. I purchased this Lavender plant yesterday at Publix, so I'm not sure if it will make it or not. But the smell?? Heaven. Lavender is my favorite scent of all time so having it at home is a real treat.

Yesterday I also went to a local antique market and found this planter for $30. It isn't old, only made to look old, but its cast iron so it shouldn't rot away over time. The plant I picked up at Lowes. Isn't it pretty?

This little beauty I also found while antiquing, and this one is an antique. It is an old, wooden plant stand, and the little holders for the plants rotate so you can put them in any position you want. I love the off-white paint and the chippy finish. And it was a steal at $30. When I spotted it I thought for sure it was going to be $80, I've never seen anything like it. The details are lovely, and minus chipping paint (which I love!) its in excellent condition. I already had the pots, so I just picked up four $2.50 plants at Lowes to pop in them.

And lastly is this little birdhouse (or lizard house?). We've had a lot of nesting birds recently in 2 other birdhouses that we have, so I wanted to get some more for our feathered friends. This one is made from old barn wood and painted a soft minty green. I've really been enjoying it so far.

>> Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Happy 2013 everyone! Is anyone else excited about a new year? 2012 was wonderful in a lot of ways, but I'm already ready to move past and start anew. I woke up yesterday with fresh inspiration to get things done, clean out and get moving. I've decided that for 2013 rather than setting resolutions I'm going to set goals. This idea isn't original to me, but I like the idea of goals better. My main goal for 2013 is to simplify; my life, my business, my finances and my home. I want to cut out the clutter and have a fresh, clean palette to work with in all areas of my life. Easier said than done, I'm sure. But here are my goals for 2013:

Personal

Exercise more. I know, I know... everyone says it. But I really mean it. 2012 was a big year for me and exercise, I actually like it now. So my goal is to get fit, whether that mean my weight changes or not.

Go through my closet and get rid of any clothing I don't love. I want to look at my closet every day and love what I see, rather than get lost in things I don't really like.

Do more personal photography projects. I originally started photography with the intention of creating art. I had no definitive career path, weddings just kinda fell into my lap. But as blessed as I have been in my business, I miss shooting for myself. I need more of that in my life.

Home

Finish redecorating office. I feel like the home office has been in a state of flux forever and I want it to be cohesive and beautiful. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Declutter the house and pair down. This goes a little with the last statement. Sometimes I look around and am so overwhelmed by all of the things we have. We've been extremely blessed to have everything that we do, but we also have lot that we no longer use. Those things need to be passed along to people who do need them. Purge and simplify.

Refinish the furniture I've been storing in the garage. Its time to give all of those pieces a proper home and the love they deserve.

Financial

Pay off credit card debt. This is a biggie. And it has to be done. Period.

Spend less overall. I'm pretty sure I'm a shopaholic. This is something I've come to terms with in the last month and I'm actively working to correct this bad habit. I'll be posting more about this soon.

Have more in savings. If the credit cards are paid off and I'm spending less, then I should be able to save!

Business

Keep up with my editing. I'm planning to set a strict schedule for myself and my editing. I don't like falling behind or feeling like I'm drowning in images to edit. I need to stay on top of things more.

Say "no" more. I'm a people pleaser, probably to a fault. I need to be better about saying no so that my personal life (and ultimately my business) doesn't suffer. If I'm overwhelmed I'm helping no one.

Blog more. Both on my business blog and here. It just needs to be done.

Image I posted yesterday on Instagram of my "resolutions"

Exercise, Organize, and more pictures of the cat ;)

And lastly, for the month of January I will be doing a 15 day "mini cleanse", tackling one area of the house at a time. I'll be starting on Jan 7th, and I'd love for you to follow along! I'll be posting each day and I'd love to see your mini cleanses as well! Just post your link in the comments section of each post. Here are the different areas I'll be covering:

>> Saturday, December 8, 2012

The hubs and I aren't really big on Christmas, probably because we don't have kids yet, but I still like to make the house a little festive this time of year. I go back and forth each December on getting a tree, and this year I decided I wanted one. We're having a small Christmas party with friends so sprucing up (pun intended ;) )the house was a must. I tried to keep my decor simple and easy, only purchasing a few things to round out the decorations. I'll explain what I did below

First up is our dining room. With a bit of ribbon I hung differnet colored balls from the chandelier. I saw something similar in Pinterest and loved the look, and I couldn't be happier with this little project. It took a bit of time to figure out the configuration I wanted, but in the end it was worth the effort

On the table is a vintage style runner I purchased from Target last year,

and my hobnail milk glass candlesticks

A little bowl of leftover ornaments and some bead garland

On top of the hutch is my ironstone collection, so I just added some garland I purchased this year form Ballard Designs. I am IN LOVE with it. So realistic looking, and really affordable!

For our tree, I used the same ornaments I've used for the past several years without purchasing a one. The only thing I added to our tree was a bow at the top, made from some ribbon purchased last year at JoAnn Fabrics

The mantel is where I got the most creative. I purchase the cardboard letters at Joann's and painted them gold. I also purchased the green and red eucalyptus, hurricane glasses and pinecones there as well.

I've had this metal buckets for several years now that I filled with the eucalyptus, and I popped some red candles in the hurricane jars and tied some string and pinecones I painted around the top.

Simple and easy.

I went to Goodwill and picked up a bag of red balls for 50¢

and plopped them in another glass jar I had

I have plants all over my house, so I tied some festive plaid ribbon around them to add a little festive touch. The glass votive holder was 25¢ at Goodwill and the deer is from Target a few years ago
*btw, thrift stores like Goodwill are an excellent source for cheap Christmas decorations*

I just love nutcrackers, he's from Target a few years back, and I added some red berries to a jar of blue eucalyptus I already had (btw, I looove that stuff, its so pretty and easy to use for decor)

A glittery Merry Christmas sign I found last year at a local shop

And then the front door. This wreath is from Target a few years ago, and the mat is from Target this year. I already had both planters but just purchased two $4 poinsettias from Target and dropped them in the pots. I know I won't have them all year, so I didn't worry about actually planting them.

And that's it! Quick and easy (and inexpensive) Christmas decor is how I roll. I hope you enjoyed the photos, I actually busted out the real camera for these. Its a Christmas miracle ;)

Share your favorite decor below by linking up to your blog! I'd love to see what you did :)

>> Thursday, November 29, 2012

**Ok... so I thought this post posted, but apparently it didn't... so lets try this again!

Yesterday I shared my time at the Country Living Fair 2012, and today I want to show you my goodies! I didn't come away with much, but what I did get I love. Which is how it should be, right? When heading to the fair there were only two things I really wanted to find; an ironstone cup for my makeup brushes and a large paddle. And I was successful in both! How often does that happen? I got two other things (only 4 things total) but they are already being put to good use in my house.

First up, some vintage school flash cards with the numbers 4, 6, and 8 on them (the reverse has 3, 5, 7) but they are navy blue with a cream letter, around 5x7. April 8th, 2006 is our wedding anniversary, so I thought a little collection of 4.8.6 would be cute in our house. I got the frames from Target (yes, one is different, I wanted to shake it up a bit!) and I just love how they turned out. My husband, being the devil that he is, constantly asks, "what do those numbers mean again?" Boys... ;)

Next up is my paddle! I am so in love with it. I have been wanting a vintage bread paddle for a while now, and when I spotted this beauty I snatched him up. Its a him because his name is Ed. Just take a look!

Probably my favorite find (and the most unexpected) was this vintage stamp set. If you know me you know I love stamps, and finding this made me feel like I hit the jackpot. Its mostly just letters, but there are some symbol stamps that I am head over heels for. A detail photo of those is below!

And the best part? When I got home from the trip I started reading my newest Country Living magazine that had come in the mail and look at what was inside! An article about the value of vintage stamp sets. I felt pretty cool right then ;)

And lastly, my ironstone cup! In the few years I had developed a deep love for ironstone, but its an expensive thing to collect. Good pieces are hard to find, and most are the same item (lots of pitchers and bowls). I've been looking for something to hold my makeup brushes for a while that wasn't something generic, and this cup did the trick. I've never seen one this size before, or in such great shape. It had a pretty little pricetag on it (probably because its rarer) but since its something I've been wanting for over a year, it came home with me.

So that's it! What are some of your favorite finds from an antique show you've been to? Anything you always look for when you're out? Anyone else love ironstone as much as me? :)

20-Something photographer whose love of antiques came from her mother. Has an unhealthy addiction to ironstone and anything with a gold rim. Loves her husband and 2 deranged kitties more than anything else.

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All content, unless otherwise specified, is original content written and created by me, Ashley Rae. This includes all photos, writing and graphics.Please do not take anything without contacting me first. Stealing is uncool. So don't do it.